Fate Intervenes
by StarBlaze666
Summary: Herald Deirdre is far from ordinary, even among her Chosen bretheren, but when she and her Companion ride through a glittering green fog, she begins a journey entirely unprecedented in all of Valdemar. ML/Fushigi Yuugi Crossover.
1. Journeyman

StarBlaze: Don't ask me when this takes place. In the Mercedes Lackey world- sometime with Herald-Mages. Either a while before the Last Herald-Mage Trilogy or a while after the Mage Storm Trilogy. As for the Fushigi Yuugi Universe- I really have no clue. They're out on the road, looking for the Shinzaho, they've found all of the seishi (well, dur!), Nuriko hasn't died yet (*sniff* poor Nuri-chan!), and Hotohori's there. Ah, who cares? It's AU and a fanfic. I can mess it up however I please. *evil gryn*

Jiminy Cricket: You've got no conscience at all! Of course you can't…aaaah!

StarBlaze: *squashes annoying little bug* Erm....you didn't see that!

*fanfic readers sweatdrop*

StarBlaze: He was an annoying little bugger, anyway. You should all be applauding me! *strikes a pose and waits expectantly. crickets can be heard in the background.* Unappreciative little… mumble, mumble…*stalks off*

Nuriko: Well, since Star's too hormonal at the moment…

StarBlaze: I _heard_ that, Nuriko!

Nuriko: *sweatdrop* Umm, yes, well, enjoy the story and please review. Although, no flames, please. You really don't want to get _her_ angry, do you?

StarBlaze: Nuriko…!

Nuriko: Right, well, bye! *runs off in terror*

Tasuki: *laughs* Can you say whipped?

StarBlaze: I'll whip _you_, Tasuki! *comes out with Nakago's whip and snaps it at Tasuki's feet*

Tasuki: *jumps* Shit! She's fucking crazy!

StarBlaze: *chases Tasuki, snapping the whip at him*

*everybody else sweatdrops*

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            Herald Deirdre settled comfortably in her Companion's saddle. _:Are you happy to be leaving, Chosen?:_ Kavor asked her, shaking his head a little.

            Dee patted his neck companionably. "Happy? Not exactly. Relieved is more like it. I should have been out long ago." Dee was a Journeyman-leveled White Winds mage whose wanderings had taken her inside Valdemar's borders. As she had neared the country's capital, Haven, she was confronted by a strange white stallion. She was promptly Chosen by said stallion and spirited off to the Heraldic Collegium. There she had agreed to stay and be trained as a Heraldic Trainee- _not_ a presumptive Herald-Mage. In things concerning magic, she had insisted on being treated as any other full-grown mage of a different discipline. She had also demanded that once she had finished her Heraldic training, she should be given leave to complete her journeying to become Adeptclass. The Monarch had been reluctant on that part, but Dee had proved to be extraordinarily stubborn.

            Now they were ready. Dee was now a full Herald. She was more than ready to complete her journey and prove that she was Adeptclass material, or Masterclass, at the very least.

            Kavor set off at a leisurely pace. That had been the last inn they would stop at before they crossed the border into Rethwellan. Totally disregarding Kavor's reins, she grabbed a scrap of brown ribbon out of her pack and wrestled her dark red curls into a respectable braid.

            Kavor snorted. _:You should have done that in the inn, in front a mirror.:_

_            :Pah,:_ Dee replied, holding the ribbon in her mouth while her hands were busy braiding. _:I could braid hair in my sleep. Anyway, I wanted to get an early start.:_

            _:So you should have gotten up earlier,:_ he retorted, as Dee tied the ribbon at the end of her braid.

            "Stop mother-henning, Kavor. It probably looks fine enough. It's not like I'm going to court." She certainly wasn't, wearing a tunic and leggings of muted earth-tones under her mage-robes. Dee never did care for Heralds' Whites, and since she was technically on leave, she wouldn't wear them more than need be. She did have a set in her gear, if the need ever arose, but she preferred to not wear something that stained just by looking at it.

            _:That's not true, and you know it!:_ Kavor injected indignantly. _:Stop being so melodramatic. You sound like a Bard.:_

            "Stuff it, horse." Dee made a last check over her weapons: throwing daggers safe in their sheathes under her sleeves, her sword was buckled firmly around her waist, her bow was in good repair, the quiver on her back was full of good arrows. It was a strange thing indeed for a mage to carry weapons, never mind so many. But Dee was of a frame of mind that realized magic was not the answer for everything. If she exhausted herself fighting an enemy magically, what was to stop another from attacking her? She _would _use magic of course- that _was_ part of her training- but she had a more conventional means to rely on before she exhausted herself.

            Her forest green eyes surveyed her gear, making sure that all buckles and straps were secure, which was why she didn't see the glittering, green fog until they were in it.

            Dee's head snapped up as she felt Kavor falter beneath her; Companions _never_ stumbled. The green fog was the last thing she saw before the world faded into black.

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            Dee groaned and stretched stiffly, checking for injuries. Thankfully, she didn't appear to have any, besides bruises. She opened her eyes with difficulty; they felt like they were glued shut. She shook her head to rid herself of the drug-like daze, and took in her surroundings.

            Not that there was much to take in. She was in the middle of a normal countryside on beautiful, sunny afternoon. _I could be anywhere,_ she thought. She had expected to wake up in some sort of prison cell, completely shielded from Kavor.

            _:Kavor, love,:_ she MindCalled him, _:where are you? Are you hurt?:_

_            :I'm up the road a ways, Chosen,: _he replied- Dee immediately spotted the dirt road she had missed earlier and started for it. _:I think I might have hurt my right foreleg, though; I can't put much weight on it.:_

            "Dammit!" Dee muttered under her breath and picked up as much speed as her stiff limbs and swirling head would allow for.

            She reached him quickly. He did look rather uncomfortable, balancing on three legs, her heavy packs on his back, and his tack twisted in ways that couldn't be comfortable. She took her packs down before anything else and removed his tack. He shot her a wordless burst of gratitude and love.

            She squatted down to examine his foreleg; it was swollen and crusted with blood right above the hock. Dee shook her head a in sympathy. She immediately regretted the action as her head swam and threatened to black out. "What a sorry pair we make, eh?" she croaked, patting his side awkwardly. "I'm not gonna be able t' do much f'r this leg." Her tongue felt swollen, making speech difficult, so she switched to Mind Speech. _:I'm sorry, Kavor. We need to clean that up, but I'm not up to looking for water. There is my canteen…:_

_            :Which we _need_,: _he injected forcibly. Something up the road caught his attention. _:There's a group coming this way.:_

_            :Bandits?:_

_            :I don't think so, but if they prove to be friendly, ask them for assistance.:_

_            :And if they don't…?:_

_            :Unless you're up to magic or fighting, there isn't much we _can _do. Put up a brave front, love, maybe they'll let us be.:_

            She managed to stand up straight, although her body protested. She swayed a bit, using Kavor to keep her balance. She daren't lean her weight on him though; she had no idea how much he would be able to hold. She locked her knees before they could buckle underneath her.

            The group of eight had come up to them now, but before anyone could speak, Dee slipped back into darkness.

_To be continued._

StarBlaze: *sitting on Tasuki's head, now decidedly cheerful* So whaddya think of that, huh?

Tasuki: mmhlf

StarBlaze: *sweetly* What was that, Tasuki, dear?

Tasuki: MMHLF!

StarBlaze: Oh, d'you want me to get off of your head? Now, why didn't you say so in the first place? *stands up*

Tasuki: Freaky chick. *takes out his tessen* REKKA SHI-

StarBlaze: *takes out whip* Ah-ah-ah!

Tasuki: *cringes* meep!

Nuriko: *sweatdrop* Now that's what I call whipped!

Chichiri: Maybe you should leave Tasuki alone now, no da.

StarBlaze: Ah, you're right Chi, he's no fun anymore. *thinks, then gryns* Tamahome!

Chiriko: *tugs on Star's sleeve* Why haven't _we_ appeared in the story?

StarBlaze: *huggles adorable little Chiriko* Don't worry Chiriko! You guys are coming up very soon! I would _never_ forget you!


	2. More than she seems

StarBlaze: *smiles* So, you're back again? *flips hair over shoulder* Well I shouldn't wonder. I _am _a wonderful fanfic writer. *gryns* I've been taking lessons in humility from Hotohori and Nuri-chan. Don't worry, I know I'm very bad. You're probably here hoping that this chapter is better than the last. Either that or you're here out of sympathy. Anywho, FY fans, this here's where your fave characters come in. ^.~ It'll be fun.

Tamahome: *mutters* I hate it when she says that.

StarBlaze: *punches him in the nose* Shut it, little ghost.

Tama: Ow! *covers swollen nose with hands* Who're you calling little ghost?!

StarBlaze: *rolls eyes and whaps him in the back of his head* 

Tamahome: Ow! *starts to cry*

StarBlaze: *sighs* Hey Mitsy! I think Tama here needs you again!

Mitsukake: Again? Did you hit him, Star?

StarBlaze: *sheepishly* Yeah. It's just so…tempting.

Tamahome: *sniffles* She hit me twice!

Mitsukake: *patiently* Say you're sorry, StarBlaze.

StarBlaze: *sweatdrop* Ah…Gomen ne, Tama. Now that's settled, please review. No flames though, or I'll set Tamahome on fire.

*Tama shrieks in terror*

StarBlaze: *winces* Ow, watch the eardrums!

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Nuriko dismounted quickly and caught the stranger when she started to fall. The feminine seishi looked at his fellows in surprise. "Ah…What should we do now?"

"Mitsukake should heal her, of course," Miaka answered without a second thought. "She's obviously ill, or drugged, or something."

"Or she could be some sort of spy," Tamahome pointed out. "Just look at that those weapons."

Obviously, the young woman's horse didn't care much for that idea. The big, white stallion shot Tamahome a murderous look, and snorted in disgust. He probably would have kicked the seishi, too, if he wasn't short a leg. Tamahome gulped.

Nuriko laughed. "Well, somebody doesn't agree with you, Tama-kins!"

"I agree with Miaka, no da," Chichiri interjected gently. "We can take away her weapons until we find out what she's up to, no da."

They looked at Hotohori, expecting the young emperor to make the decision. He thought for a moment. "There is a village not to far from here. We'll room at an inn there, and then Mitsukake can heal her. If you'll kindly heal her horse, Mitsukake, we'll re-tack him and have him carry her packs- and weapons, in case she wakes up again. Somebody can ride double with her until we get to the village."

"I will," Nuriko volunteered. "I've got her already, and I can make sure she doesn't cause any trouble if she wakes up on us."

Mitsukake slipped on her horse's bridle and- being Mitsukake- regarded the fact that it had no bit impassively. Nuriko held the reins, ignoring the reviling look the horse was giving him.

When Mitsukake had finished, the horse gave him a look that could only be interpreted as surprised as he put his weight on the formally injured leg. Once they had finished, the horse followed Nuriko docilely until they reached the village.

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As soon as Dee's eyes opened, she jumped to her feet, groping for the sword that wasn't there. She cursed under her breath; she was outnumbered 8 to 1- though the girl and the slightly younger boy probably couldn't be counted for much in a fight- and totally unarmed, save for her two little throwing knives in their hidden sheathes. She dipped down into her reservoirs of magical energy, and cursed again. She was curiously drained.

Chichiri noted the alarm in the woman's face. "Relax, no da," he said soothingly. "We won't hurt you if you don't hurt us, no da."

Her gaze ticked over to the monk. There was something wrong with the way he was talking, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then she realized he wasn't speaking any language that she knew, but she could comprehend it somehow. _:Kavor?:_

_:Did you know that some of them have very open minds?:_

_:Kavor!:_ Dee was shocked; prying into minds uninvited was against the Heraldic code of ethics.

_:I only picked out the language and placed it in your mind. It was necessary. How else were you to convince them that you weren't a spy?:_

_:A spy?:_

_:They were discussing the possibility that you might be a spy after you fainted. They aren't bad people, love, just wary.:_

Dee relaxed her guard slightly; if Kavor thought they weren't going to hurt her, she was prepared to believe him. "Who are you?" she asked, tasting the odd language on her own tongue.

Hotohori granted her with a level gaze. "We were about to ask you the same question. It isn't everyday that we meet with a heavily armed stranger on the road."

Dee raised a delicate eyebrow. _Heavily armed? Is he _serious_? If it were up to some of my friends back in Haven, I would have been armed to the teeth!_

_:I think, little love, that they are in the middle of some sort of war. Some of the stablehands have been discussing it,: _Kavor added helpfully.

_:It's a good thing you have a fondness for gossip, horse. D'you think they've heard of Heralds? Or should I just be a traveling mage or merc?:_

_:I doubt they've heard of Heralds. Be a mage. A mercenary would arouse suspicion. But the weapons…:_

_:I'll let on that I'm barely more powerful than a conjurer. An attractive woman traveling alone needs a way to defend herself,:_ she added coyly. She felt him chuckle in her mind.

The unspoken conversation had taken barely more than a few seconds. She smiled graciously. "Ah, you are right. Allow me to introduce myself," she swept into a lavish imitation of a court bow. "I am Deirdre, a traveling magician. I conjure for the delight of those both young and old, after a small fee, of course," she added innocently, sounding very much like a street magician.

But the Suzaku sichiseishi were not convinced. "And what's with the weaponry?" Nuriko insisted. "Couldn't a magician defend herself with her magic?"

"Defend myself…with simple illusions?" She gave him a puzzled look. "I don't think I could do that very successfully…sir." At least, she _thought_ that Nuriko was a he. He did look very feminine.

"I'm sure that horse of yours could defend you very well," Tamahome muttered bitterly. "He sure seemed willing enough earlier."

"He would defend me, with his life if the need arose," Dee replied, "but one cannot rely on her horse to get her out of every sticky situation. Now, really," she interrupted before anyone else could open their mouths, "what is with the interrogation? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"

"No," Hotohori replied evenly, "but we cannot be too careful in these most uncertain of times."

To everyone's surprise, Dee bowed to the young emporer- this time minus the flourishes, in all seriousness. "Now that is something that I can understand, my lord." It was clear to the Herald's trained eye that Hotohori _was_ royalty of some sort. He carried himself with the same regal air that most good monarchs had. "But be warned," she added, looking him in the eye, "in the future such caution may cause you to lose an unexpected ally. At least let a body know that you mean them no harm before interrogating them like a suspect for murder!" She laughed, dispelling the spell of seriousness that she had cast upon the group. "Now that that's settled, I'll ask you to forgive my ignorance! I fear I am newly come here, by quite unexpected means. Perhaps you could fill me in on why y'all are being so wary?"

Quite a few in the group sweatdropped at this. Only Mitsukake stayed as cool and unruffled as ever. Hotohori filled Dee in on what was happening; from the war with Kutou right down to the summoning of Suzaku. He belatedly realized that they still hadn't confirmed whether or not she was a spy; telling her so much might not have been the best idea he'd ever had. _Dearest Suzaku,_ he prayed, _please let her be no more than she seems, otherwise I just made a most horrible mistake._

"Blessed Trine!" Dee exclaimed. "With all of that I'm surprised that you weren't _more_ cautious! Agnira bless-"

_:PAIN! PainfearangergriefstayawayfromthemPAIN!:_

"Gods!" Dee gasped, falling to her knees clutching her head. Someone untrained, but _very_ strongly Gifted, was in terrible danger. Dee wasn't a strong MindSpeaker; she had to trance to MindSpeak just about anyone save for Kavor.

Strengthening her magical and mental sheilds, Dee managed to stagger to her feet. "My weapons," she croaked to the others.

"What's wro-?" Hotohori started.

"My _weapons_, dammit!" They were all too shocked at her reaction to move. Cursing, she looked around, finally spotting her sword. Dee snatched it up, ran out the door and headed for the stables. Thankfully, they had put Kavor in the coral. He sailed over the fence and ran to meet her. Dee vaulted onto his back before he even came to a complete stop, his lack of saddle or bridle not hindering her in the least. She heard the others running after her, but she pushed them out of her mind. _They_ weren't important, not while there was someone who needed her help.

Kavor ran at his full speed, something they'd never _needed_ to use before, as a Companion's pace could run the fastest Shin'a'in bred horse into the ground. She worked with him, shifting her weight with him. It helped, especially at this pace, and he Sent her a wordless, distracted, burst of gratitude. _He knows where we're going, otherwise he wouldn't be going so fast. Dearest gods, I hope whoever that was is all right!_

Kavor skidded to a halt and they were confronted with a very odd sight. There was a group of younglings and a group of ruffians separated by a wall of fire. The oldest youngling was nearest to the flames; he was on his knees, clutching his head- a pose reminiscent of Dee when she had heard his MindCall. It had to have been his- there was no doubt in Dee's mind. Not only was the poor boy a powerful MindSpeaker, but a FireStarter as well. She spared him a moment of sympathy as she slid off of Kavor's back.

A plan formed quickly in Dee's mind. _:Kav, love, I want you to herd those ruffians, if you will. Feel free to knock a few heads if you feel the need, but keep them alive and what little brains they have intact. I'll contain our poor FireStarter.:_ Kavor snorted in agreement and the two parted ways.

Dee rushed to the boy's side, but didn't touch him; he could interpret that as an attack. The heat was intense, the fire roaring in her ears. The flames licked at her, burning and blistering her skin. It hurt, it hurt badly, but the boy in front of her was in more pain than she. She lowered her sheilds fully and was able to see the boy's mind. Her stomach roiled at the breach of ethics, but she needed to know how to comfort the boy and bring him out of his panic.

The other children, she saw, he was escorting home from their schooling. As with Valdemar, these children were all educated by a village priest, this boy's brother. The children looked up to the older boy, and when the ruffians attacked, he knew he had to do _anything_ to protect them.

Dee extended a small "touch" to the boy. That surprised him; the flames wavered for a moment. _:It's all right, sweetling, they're safe.:_

The boy had a little trouble replying. _:…who…?:_ There were layers of surprise, fear, and caution overlaying his "voice."

_:I'm a friend, youngling. My name is Deirdre.:_

_:the children…all right?:_

_:Yes, all of them. You can call the flames off, now.:_

_:I DON'T KNOW HOW!:_ the boy "shouted" in desperation.

Dee winced. _:Easy, love. All is not lost. I can help you, if you wish.:_

_:…please…:_ he replied, meekly this time. Dee nodded once, to herself. She placed sheilds firmly over the boy and took controlof the flames quickly, before they could spread.

She gasped suddenly in surprise; she had dreadfully miscalculated. Someone Masterclass could handle this, but Dee was still a Journeyman. It took everything she had just to contain the flames. There was no way to douse them alone.

_:But you are not alone.:_

_:Kavor…:_ Her Companion fed her energy through their bond; Dee could feel it bolstering her wavering strength. Dee closed her eyes and concentrated. The simplest spell an apprentice ever learned was how to create fire. All Dee had to do was the opposite, on a monumental scale.

And when she was finished, she could feel the beginnings of a reaction-headache pounding behind her eyes. And the boy's was going to be a helluva lot worse. Speaking of the boy…

Dee's lips curved into a small smile when she spotted him; the poor boy had fallen into unconsciousness. Which was a blessing, considering the pain he would have been experiencing, if he were awake. Although he was scorched and burned, he still looked so innocent, lying there as though he were merely sleeping. He couldn't be more than thirteen at most. She smoothed his singed hair tenderly. _Poor boy,_ she thought. _Poor, poor baby._

Kavor was doing an excellent job of herding the ruffians; not that it was the hardest job in the world. They were all stared at the wide, scorched, smoking line running across the cobblestones. Dee looked over at the huddled group of terrified children.

"Younglings," she croaked, her voice harsh from the smoke she had breathed. The children jumped at being addressed, and turned frightened eyes on her. "Do you think that you can make it home by yourselves? Your benefactor is not well enough." The group nodded, turned and ran.

Dee sighed and put a hand to her aching head.

"It seems, Magician Deirdre," Hotohori said coolly behind her, "that you are much more than you appear to be."

TBC

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StarBlaze: *cracks fingers* Well, that was better than I had expected. And I have decided on the times that it is set in.

*a hush falls over the audience…err, fanfic readers.*

StarBlaze: *clears throat for suspense* Ahem. I have decided that in the Mercedes Lackey world, it takes place a couple of generations after the Mage Storms trilogy. *shrugs* I _like_ Van, Stef and 'Fandes. I don't think I'd be able to not mention them in any way. And since Dee doesn't have ForeSight, she can't know about him _before_ he's alive.

*Fanfic readers applaud, ooh, and ahh accordingly*

StarBlaze: And as for the FY world, well, *sheepishly* a time that never actually appears in the series. I couldn't think of a time where Miaka and _all _of the seishi were traveling together. I was considering having at the time when they first find "Chiriko" (a.k.a. Amiboshi), but I had already written Chichiri into the story, and it would just take too much effort. Ah, well, as I've said before, it's AU, so it doesn't really matter, since I'm not gonna screw around with the storyline.

*Disgruntled fanfic readers mutter after being so let down*

StarBlaze: *sweatdrop* Ahh, review please! And remember what I said about flames…

*everybody hears Tama shrieking in the background*


	3. Explanations

StarBlaze: Grr. Finals. 'Nuff said.

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            The ruffians had been carted off to the proper authority. Dee's mouth twisted in disgust at the thought of anyone attacking a group of defenseless- well, not _quite_ defenseless- children on their way home from school.

            Her new ward was still unconscious. They had brought him back to the house of worship where his brother lived, for healing. Dee wished that she had the Gift of Healing to ease this boy; that Mitsukake's Gift had a sort of  "all-or-nothing" catch that made Dee uneasy. She wouldn't let him expend all that energy to Heal a few simple burns when the soothing salves she had in her saddlebags would largely do the same thing over a longer period of time. So both she and the boy were swaddled in softly woven bandages, with the balm comforting their burns.

            The Suzaku seishi were angry with her. They expected an explanation immediately, especially Hotohori. When she refused point-blanc to leave the boy's side, they demanded that she explain it to them there and now. So, to assist her story, when she discarded her burned clothing, she changed into her Whites.

            And now was to be the moment of truth; Dee leaned back into her padded chair, unsure just where to begin.

            Hotohori watched the young woman, his eyes cold with anger. Suzaku! How could he have been so stupid? What had driven him to tell her everything? One thing was for sure, he realized as he thinned his lips, he had put his empire into grave danger. If it was necessary, he would have this woman executed. Such were the hard decisions of his rule.

            But, his conscience nagged, why would a spy, an enemy, risk her life and cover to save a group of children? He wasn't sure how she had done it, but she had. As an emperor, he should be thanking her, naming her a hero! But she had lied about who she was; she was more than a simple street conjurer. Much, much more.

            Hotohori sighed inwardly. The woman was a series of contradictions that made his head spin. He hadn't missed her change of clothing, either. She had changed from her comfortable robes into a strange white uniform.

            She sighed and cradled a mug of evil-smelling tea that she had brewed from …something that she had found in her saddlebags along with that burn salve. She took a sip and grimaced; it must have tasted as wonderful as it smelled.

            Dee made a face. "Willowbark tea. Nasty stuff, but great for headaches. Ever had it?" The seishi just looked at her stonily. Dee sighed and put her mug to the side. She had finished most of it, and the reaction-headache had subsided until it was bearable. They would not be diverted any longer.

            "Well," she began softly, but looking them straight in the eyes. "I suppose I should restate my introduction. _Introductions_, I should say, for there are two ways that I could introduce myself. I am the White-Winds mage, Journeyman Deirdre. I did not lie when I said I was a magician; I am just not the sort you thought I was.

            "I am also Herald Deirdre, out of Valdemar, but you may all call me Dee." She sat there, waiting for their disbelief. Mitsukake stood off to the side, totally unmoved, but six other mouths opened to call her a liar or to voice their doubt.

            A young voice cut through before they could make a noise. "I've read of your Valdemar," little Chiriko piped up, "but it seemed too fantastical to be real. I dismissed it as a legend or some sort of fairytale."

            "Well, little scholar," Dee said warmly, "it seems that you've saved me candlemarks of explanation. And have you also read of the Heralds of Valdemar?"

            Chiriko nodded once, eyes wide. "I didn't much understand, though."

            Dee threw back her head and gave a hearty laugh. "Well said, little scholar," she chuckled. "Nobody much understands us, other than ourselves, of course." She smiled encouragingly. "Tell me of your findings, youngling."

            Chiriko thought for a moment. "It said something about special men and women who were a sort of…peace-keeping force." He looked at Dee, who just nodded positively. "I didn't much understand about their duties. It would tell about Heralds who were war heroes, and others that acted as judges, and some that saved their people from bandits, natural disasters, or even plagues." Chiriko gazed at Dee skeptically.

            "It is the job of Heralds to protect innocent people- whether it is their own people or people of another country- in whatever way we can," she elaborated. It did not escape Hotohori's attention when she said 'we.' "That includes all that you have said and more. We are ambassadors, messengers, scouts, judges, war troops, even assassins, if the need arises. Hellfires, we even help villagers bring in the crops from the harvest, if we have the leisure or the help is sorely needed." Her voice softened again. "Anything that will help innocent people. Please, Chiriko, continue."

            _:Did I miss anything, Kavor:_ she sent without showing any outward sign that she was doing so.

            _:You forgot to mention that the lot of you are stubborn, pig-headed-:_

_            :Kavor!:_ Dee had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. He just sent a wordless mind-chuckle.

            Chiriko cleared his throat before continuing. "I didn't much understand the rest, either. Something about every Herald was chosen by a horse, and they had a companion with strange powers…" he trailed off with a shrug.

            "Ah, Companions. Always the hardest part of the explanations." Dee sighed and shook her head. "_I _don't really understand them. Insufferable, mulish- ow!" Kavor gave her a mind 'kick' that Dee was totally unprepared for.

            _:Payback's a bitch, horse.:_ Kavor didn't even deign to answer.

            Chichiri looked at her concernedly. "Are you all right, no da? Do your burns pain you, na no da?"

            Dee, laughed, though not unkindly. "I'm fine, really. That was just _my _Companion. He didn't really care for what I was saying about him and his brethren. You all remember my horse, the white stallion?"

            "How could I forget?" Tamahome muttered bitterly. Nuriko laughed at Tama's dark expression.

            Dee suppressed a smile of her own. "Well, he's no horse. He's my Companion. I'm not sure how to explain it, really." She tapped a finger against her lips thoughtfully. "The Shin'a'in call them _leshy'a_- spirit- horses. Kind of like the spirit of a human- or something just as intelligent as a human- in a horse-like shape. There's no doubt in my mind that they are here by divine intervention.

            "What they do is Chose people who will help Valdemar and protect the innocents that I spoke to you about. They bond with their Chosen in a way like to a lifebond. That's how we choose our Heirs; the next in the royal line _that has been Chosen_ is named Heir. It makes for very uncorrupt Monarchs.

            "More often than not, the Chosen have special Gifts in what we call mind-magic. These can be various things; most common is MindSpeaking, which allows us to 'speak' to our Companions. This boy here," she reached over and stroked the hair of her still-unconscious ward, "has both MindSpeech and FireStarting- a very rare and powerful Gift that allows one to set _any_ substance on fire. And because of that, I _must_ stay here and keep my shields on him until I can give him rudimentary training and bring him back to Valdemar."

            The boy chose that moment to wake. He shot up into a sitting position, panicked. Dee could See the power flare; she knew that they'd all be up in flames in mere seconds…

            And she clamped impermeable shields on him before that could happen. "Easy, sweetling," she said soothingly as she would to a spooked, wild colt. "We aren't going to hurt you, we're here to help." She could feel him battering against her shields; so those were what frightened him. "Stop fighting, little love," she coaxed. "It'll only hurt more. I'm Deirdre. You remember me, don't you?"

            He froze everything and looked at her, eyes wide in fright. "You aren't real!" his voice was shrill with terror.

            Tasuki opened his mouth to discount this, but Dee raised a hand to stop him. The boy was very fragile right now, after a very traumatic experience and the fiery seishi would do more harm than good.

            "I'm very real." Dee kept her voice soft and comforting. She held out a hand. "See? You can touch me. I won't shimmer and fade away, I assure you."

            "I heard you in my head," the boy whispered fearfully. "I- I thought I was going crazy or…" he averted his eyes, "or that you were an angel." Dee would have laughed if the boy hadn't been so serious.

            Dee rested her outstretched hand gently against the boy's cheek. He started in surprise. She smiled tenderly at him. "It's entirely possible that I am here by some discreet sort of divine intervention. I've learned never to discount that, but I am no angel. Far from, in fact. And see? You can touch me, you can feel my hand can't you?" The boy nodded, and she removed her hand from his cheek only to grip his hand firmly. "I'm very real, and you are not crazy." On a gamble, she added, "Right, Mitsukake?" The man was solid, reliable, down-to-earth- the sort of person this boy probably saw everyday. She hoped the familiarity would put the boy even more at his ease, and if not, Mitsukake was the closest thing they had to a MindHealer.

            But she needn't have worried. The boy relaxed completely when the seishi stepped forward at Dee's summons. "Well, if he's crazy," Mitsukake said calmly, "what does that say for Tasuki?"

            "Hey!" the redheaded bandit protested, reaching for his tessen. But Tamahome beat him to it, and rapped Tasuki on the head with the large, diamond fan.

            The boy chuckled weakly as the two squabbled. "What's your name, sweetling?" Dee asked him, squeezing his hand.

            "Blake," he answered, not meeting her eyes.

            Hotohori's eyes smarted as he watched the tender scene between Dee and the boy. Suzaku, this woman was amazing! She had gone straight from saying that her Heraldic kin occasionally acted as assassins, to all mothering and feminine as soon as the boy awakened.

            He blinked rapidly. Hotohori barely remembered his own mother, but he remembered her acting very similar, when they had been in private. Ever since she had died, he had felt so very alone. Seeing the Herald like this- it was almost like a physical pain in his heart.

            Despite his nostalgia, Hotohori didn't miss the oddity of the boy's name. "That is an unusual, foreign name," he said in response.

            Blake jumped a bit at being addressed by someone else. "My mother came from a far-away country, sir. She always said that she wished she was back there, for Hardorn was at peace with all of its neighbors."

            Dee felt as though a hand clenched at her heart. "H-Hardorn?" she whispered. "Did you s-say Hardorn?"

            "Yes," Blake replied. "Did I say something wrong?"

            "No, sweetling," Dee murmured distractedly. Dee had feared that she was sent so far away, that no one would be able to tell her how to get back. After all, only Chiriko had heard of her country from an obscure scroll dismissed as fantasy. But if this boy's mother was from _Hardorn_…!

            "Blake, where is your mother?" Dee asked. "I would speak with her." She looked down at her hands and whispered, "I would speak to her about Hardorn."

            "I'm an orphan, Lady Deirdre. My mother is dead. She's been dead these past six years."

            Dee's heart plummeted. "I'm sorry, Blake," she said, smiling to hide her disappointment. "I didn't mean sadden you." _Dammit! The one real lead I'll get to find my way back to Valdemar is in a grave six-years cold._

            _:You can't blame yourself, Chosen.:_

_            :Can't I, Kavor? Hmmm? _I_ am the mage here, _I _should have been able to sense that green fog before we came upon it, _I _should be able to do something about it besides sit around and twiddle my thumbs!:_

            Kavor snorted in disgust. _:Stop wallowing in self-pity, girl! If we're going to play the blame game, how's about this- _I _should have been able to detect the fog, also. _I _should have been able to alert you of it before we were into it, rather than letting it muddle my mind. I have a duty to you, my Chosen, and I blew it!:_

_            :Kav-:_

_            :But _I _am not wasting _my_ time with should haves! Are you a Herald or not, girl? You need to keep a clear head and figure your way out of this mess, if not for your own sake, then for Blake's! He needs you, gods-dammit, and _you_ have a duty to _him_- a duty to be his teacher, someone he can rely on, until you can get him to Haven! He _doesn't_ need someone who's so wrapped up in what she 'should have done,' that she doesn't have time for him!:_

            Dee smiled slightly, thoroughly chagrined. _:Thanks for the lecture, Kav. I needed that.:_

            _:I know.:_

            Had he been there, she would have stuck her tongue out at him. But since it would look very odd to all of the others, she wisely kept her tongue in her mouth. Instead, she turned to Blake. "Who do you live with?" she asked.

            "My brother," he replied curiously. "Why?"

            "How would you feel about traveling with me for a while? You need to be trained, and I'm the best candidate to train you, for the moment. Once I give you rudimentary instruction, I can bring you to my country and get you a teacher better suited to your abilities. We can even visit your mother's homeland along the way. What do you say, hmm?"

            The boy only answer was flying into her arms for an engulfing hug.

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StarBlaze: Ach! I really didn't mean to make Hotohori into the main FY character. Things just sort of…happened that way. Ah, well *shrugs* that's the way the cookie crumbles.


End file.
